Fate Kaleid Liner Episode 6 Review

Seriously, if you’ve been a fan of the Type-Moon Fate Series games as well as the adapted anime series, you will absolutely FREAK OUT in this episode and absolutely LOVE the series. Even if you haven’t been following the series thus far, just watch this one episode for all the badass-ness. Fate Kaleid Liner is becoming my favourite series this summer!

This entire episode encompassed all the fighting between dark Saber and the Kaleid magic girls. Rin and Luvia’s attack turns out to be anticlimactic despite having built up to it from last week’s cliff-hanger and even though it does massive destruction to the land, Saber’s only sort of injured. Saber uses her Noble Phantasm and practically uplifts the entire Mirror World. It’s crazy!

Illya and Miyu are completely lost and alone since they’ve separated from Rin, Luvia, Ruby and Sapphire after the attack. Saber is still unharmed and begins to advance on Illya and Miyu. Though Miyu’s still clearheaded enough to process information, run and hide, Illya’s starting to mentally shut down.

In her desperation and panic, something inside her snaps – it’s represented as a lock and chain but I think it’s something akin to a magic seal – and mana begins to flow from Illya. A magic circle appears below her as she summons her power and “installs” the Archer class card onto herself. She’s completely in a trance-like state as this happens.

I love the installation concept with the class cards. We really get to reminisce of Fate Stay Night with Illya’s transformations into a Heroic Spirit. She wields Kansho and Bakuya as she charges into battle with dark Saber. The action cinematography is stunning, the angles and camera movements to follow the scenes are seamlessly done and everything happens like a lucid surreal dream. The reality marble scene from Archer’s Unlimited Blade Works flashes through Illya’s transformation as she “traces” to create weapons as Shiro and Archer do. In the end, it’s really only Heroic Spirits that can defeat other Heroic Sprits. Overall, the choreography for combat was great and it’s getting better and better in every new anime.

NOT A SPOILER- I’m not going to reveal the final clash between Illya and Saber because you have to see it for yourself. I was literally sitting at the edge of my seat chewing on my nails as the final attack came. IT WAS EPIC.

I really liked Illya as a character in Fate Stay Night and I’m coming to absolutely love her in Fate Kaleid Liner. Does anyone else recognize all the familiar areas in Fuyuki city? I hope you guys are loving this series as much as I am! We get a short closing scene after the credits where Miyu insists on personally carrying an unconscious Illya back home. Miyu and Illya are becoming such a cute team! I can’t wait till they become even more experienced and powerful magic girls. I’m totally rooting for them!